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Tōru Oikawa
|Oikawa Tōru}} is a setter for Club Atlético San Juan, a professional team in the Argentine Volleyball Federation. For the majority of the series, he was a third-year student at Aobajohsai High, serving as the captain and ace setter for the school's volleyball team. Appearance Oikawa has dark brown hair that is swept outwards and eyes of corresponding color. Many others find him attractive, to the point where several girls follow him around. Oikawa frequently smiles and grins (although Iwaizumi notes that these expressions are rarely genuine). He tends to make victory signs or large waving gestures, which are often accompanied by broad smiles or a wink. Another trademark expression of his is sticking out his tongue while smiling and closing one eye. Oikawa has a fairly decent height for a volleyball player, standing just over six feet. He wears a white brace on his right knee due to a previous injury. While on the court, Oikawa wears a standard aqua and white Aobajohsai High uniform emblazoned with the number one. He also wears dark gray athletic shoes with blue details. At other times, Oikawa dresses in the Aobajohsai uniform, which consists of khakis with dark brown detailing, a cream-colored vest, a dark red tie, a lavender button-down shirt, and a white blazer. During a practice match with Karasuno High, Oikawa dons a green #13 sports bib on top of an aqua t-shirt. It is also shown that he wears glasses in one instance, but it is possible the reason he does not wear them is that most of the time he wears contacts or simply does not possess such bad eyesight that it would hinder him during his daily routine. Personality Despite his flirtatious nature (which makes him famous amongst female students, much to Tanaka and Nishinoya's envy) and childishness (as pointed out by his nephew and Iwaizumi), Oikawa is an excellent, well-rounded player and is extremely serious about volleyball. He's known to have a "disgusting personality" amongst both opponents and his own teammates because of his smug, yet outwardly flippant attitude. Oikawa also frequently makes cheerful remarks, but follows them up with serious or intimidating afterthoughts. Oikawa is extremely intelligent and cunning and easily figures out both his teammates and opponents' weaknesses. Oikawa holds a grudge against Kageyama, whom he mockingly calls Tobio-chan. This is due to his feelings of inferiority when compared to Kageyama, who has been hailed as a genius setter since their time spent at Kitagawa Daiichi. Kageyama can unintentionally bring out the more childish or rash aspects of Oikawa's personality. Oikawa works extremely hard and often endures vigorous practices after his normal practices with the team. This has led him to injuring himself in the past. In addition, Oikawa spends time watching past games of his rivals, observing their movements ahead of time and strategizing how to defeat them. Despite that, he still takes time off on Mondays for resting. Oikawa is ambitious, but it's shown that he also has feelings of inferiority towards those he deems as better than him, Ushijima and Kageyama for examples. This is one of the main reasons he pushes himself so hard. Background A former member and setter of Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High, he won the "Best Setter Award" in his prefecture during his 3rd year at the aforementioned school. As a former upperclassmen and senior setter to Tobio Kageyama, he nearly hit him once after Kageyama requested that he teach him to serve, but was held back by Hajime Iwaizumi. He later felt guilty and showed remorse, and apologized to Kageyama. He'd been blessed with more athletic skill than most people. A good sense for things, too. Even so, there was an ever-present wall he couldn't overcome. The junior high section of Shiratorizawa Academy, which had become known as the strongest in the prefecture, and the "Herculean" Wakatoshi Ushijima, who numbered among its players. In his final tournament of junior high, he and his team faced the Shiratorizawa team and won a set for the first time. They came in second to Shiratorizawa in the results, and it was there that Oikawa received the Best Setter Award. Plot Karasuno High Team Formation Arc Interhigh In the Interhigh preliminaries, Oikawa's team faced off against Karasuno High. In the end, Aobajōsai advanced, but only to be defeated in the next round by Shiratorizawa Academy. While most 3rd years from other various schools moved on and left the volleyball club behind after the Interhigh, Oikawa and the other 3rd years stuck around to have another chance at beating Shiratorizawa. Tokyo Expedition Arc Spring High Preliminary Arc In the Spring High Preliminaries, Aobajōsai faces off against Date Tech, and wins 2-0, advancing to the Semi-Finals. In the Semi-Finals, they face Karasuno. During the match, Oikawa displays his new and improved serve, which is faster and more powerful. Despite playing to his fullest, Oikawa and his team lose the match 1-2. Oikawa and his teammates are thoroughly disappointed and cry after the loss. He comes across Ushijima, who warns him not to chose the wrong path again (implying that he made a wrong decision by joining Aobajōsai instead of going to Shiratorizawa) and that his worthless pride is the reason he lost to Karasuno. Oikawa replies by saying that this is just the start of his volleyball career. He says that he doesn't think he made a mistake by joining Aobajōsai and if Ushijima doesn't pay attention he might get stabbed from a direction he isn't expecting (implying that Karasuno might defeat him). During the finals of the Spring High Preliminaries, where Karasuno plays Shiratorizawa, Oikawa secretly goes to watch the match, where he is caught by Iwaizumi. He and Iwaizumi are impressed by the way Kageyama plays in the finals and leave before the awards ceremony saying he won't be able to stand watching the ceremony. Statistics He is most feared for his powerful and accurate jump serve, which he has honed and perfected from a young age. He can maintain a calm and cool composure during any match, no matter how tense it is. Despite not being considered a "genius", Oikawa is a stunning player and one of the best all-around players in the prefecture. Unlike Kageyama's genius setting technique, Oikawa's talent lies in his natural athletic ability, his skill to make full use of his teammates, finding weaknesses in the opposing teams, sharp aims, and powerful serves. Within a short span of time on the court, he was able to point out that Tsukishima and Hinata were weak at receiving, and break Kageyama and Hinata's god-like quick. This, however, is not without years of dedication and practices, which is why his previous girlfriend dumped him. His talent is even acknowledged by Ushijima from Shiratorizawa Academy, who states that Oikawa's talent lies in his ability to draw the full potential out of any team. Jumping Reach: 335 cm Skills *'Jump-Serve': Oikawa is renowned for his powerful jump-serve, a technique he had seen on television and thought was amazing, so he worked hard since junior high to master the technique. He serves with pinpoint accuracy, often strategically targeting a member of the opposing team, a gap between two players (as seen with Nishinoya and Tanaka, as well as Daichi and Asahi) or using a different scheme to win a service ace. It is difficult to return, but Nishinoya's talent as a libero allowed him to do so skillfully. Because of the strain the jump-serve has on Oikawa's focus, his coach allows him to take time-outs and breaks alone to regain the concentration necessary to successfully execute them by focusing on the aspects that are easy to fumble. During the Spring High Tournament, it seems Oikawa's jump serve has evolved. According to Sawamura, his serves can become so powerful that it can look like a spike. According to Coach Ukai, he seems to be putting more emphasis on power than control. Amusingly, the rest of the team requested the foods that they want Oikawa to buy if they lose the first point (where Oikawa lost the toss and was sent to serve.) *'Observant Perception': Both in-game and in daily life, Oikawa has a good sense of his surroundings and can effortlessly read others' moves and emotions. Because of this, he was able to pick up almost immediately on Kageyama and Hinata's strategy behind their god-like quick. *'Natural Talent as a Setter': Oikawa's tosses are made so that they are easiest for his teammates to hit. After each toss, he immediately asks how they can be improved afterward. Oikawa's abilities as a setter are so great that he is said to draw out the maximum potential of whatever team he is on. In particular, it is said that he draws out 100% of the potential of each individual spiker. He is also shown to be talented at performing Dumps at the most unexpected times Relationships Aobajohsai High *'Hajime Iwaizumi': Iwaizumi, often called "Iwa-chan" by Oikawa, is the latter's childhood best friend as well as the vice-captain of his current team. The two have been playing volleyball together since childhood and are extremely close. Iwaizumi is typically the one person who keeps Oikawa in line within Seijou, as well as disciplines him, usually with kicks or volleyballs thrown to the head (although it's notable that Iwaizumi threatens to hurt Oikawa more than he actually does). Despite being frequently annoyed by Oikawa's antics, Iwaizumi is shown to worry and care about him, often telling him to not overwork himself and cheering him up. Whenever Oikawa feels threatened by Kageyama's talent, Iwaizumi would berate him and remind him of his own strength. During the match against Karasuno, Iwaizumi reminded Oikawa to concentrate on the opponents at hand instead of the upcoming match against Shiratorizawa. The two are nearly always in complete synchronization with each other on the court. It's well known that whenever Oikawa's in a pinch, he will toss to Iwaizumi. Oikawa and Iwaizumi have been through a lot together since junior high, Iwaizumi being the one that usually has to look after Oikawa. When Kageyama joined in the two's third years of junior high, Oikawa became jealous of his raw talent and started overworking himself in order to beat him. Oikawa's hatred of Kageyama got to the point where he nearly hit Kageyama, but Iwaizumi stepped in at the last minute. He yelled at Oikawa for his behavior and the two started arguing because Oikawa believed that he had to keep getting stronger in order to beat Shiratorizawa and Ushijima, his longtime rival. Iwaizumi then angrily headbutted and scolded him, stating that he was conceited and wouldn't be able to win against Shiratorizawa alone because volleyball is a team sport and "makes the strong even stronger". This finally got through to Oikawa and changed his way of thinking. It was after this notable change in attitude that Oikawa received his "best setter" reward, and both he and Iwaizumi angrily vowed to beat Shiratorizawa in the future. After Seijou's loss to Karasuno during the Spring High Representative Playoffs, Oikawa comforted Iwaizumi by patting his back after the former began to question his abilities as an ace. During the Seijou Extra, Iwaizumi nonchalantly stated that he believed Oikawa would probably not be happy because he's so hard to satisfy, but that Oikawa would keep moving on without hesitation. Iwaizumi said Oikawa is a partner he can boast about, as well as an amazing setter, but that if they fight Iwaizumi will defeat him. *'Takahiro Hanamaki': Hanamaki (Makki as Oikawa shortens to), like many of his team members, appears to have close relations with Oikawa. Other Schools *'Tobio Kageyama': Kageyama was Oikawa's junior when they were in junior high but while Kageyama admired Oikawa, the latter hated him. Saying that he "hates geniuses", Oikawa disliked the raw talent Kageyama possessed and often refused to teach him anything when he asked, stating that it would be troublesome to deal with him in the future as rivals and adding an immature remark back at him. Despite this, Oikawa often comments that he's no match when it comes to Kageyama's accuracy in tossing, which annoys Iwaizumi. During a practice match in junior high, Oikawa lost his patience and made multiple technical mistakes. He was then substituted by Kageyama, who impressively spiked and tossed. This frustrated Oikawa, which drove himself to work harder but all the while became more frustrated. While in this mood when practicing alone, the young Kageyama asked Oikawa to teach him how to jump-serve, to which he reacted violently and almost punched the boy in the face. He later apologized and was seen showing remorse and guilt over trying to hit him. Kageyama, however, ended up learning his skills from Oikawa by simply watching him. Since junior high, he believed that if he surpassed Oikawa, he would be the best setter in the prefecture. He holds a grudging admiration towards Oikawa and respects his volleyball skills, but does not care so much for his personality. He is currently trying to master Oikawa's jump-serve. During Karasuno's first official match with Aobajohsai, both Oikawa and Kageyama get riled up by each others' taunts and jabs. Oikawa likes to purposely agitate Kageyama and throw his state of mind off-balance. Aobajohsai ended up winning this match but Oikawa noted that Kageyama could beat him, just not now. Sometime later, Kageyama approached Oikawa, asking for advice on how to respond to Hinata's desire to spike "of his own free will" instead of shutting his eyes and hitting with full power. Kageyama stated that Hinata doesn't have the skill and it's a ridiculous proposal. Oikawa originally refused to talk to him, but after Kageyama begrudgingly bowed to show his respect, Oikawa relented and replied that Kageyama should give it a shot. He explained that if Kageyama didn't, he would just be reverting back to his junior high days, and that thinking his way is best is cowardly. Oikawa also told him that it's Hinata who takes the initiative in attacks, not Kageyama. *'Wakatoshi Ushijima': Ushijima has been Oikawa's rival since junior high, the latter never having won a match against him. Oikawa often refers to Ushijima as "Ushiwaka-chan", much to his disdain. Surprisingly, Ushijima recognizes Oikawa's talent, calling him an excellent player and stating that he should have attended Shiratorizawa because he draws out the maximum potential of whatever team he is on. Whenever the two bump into each other, Ushijima would remind Oikawa of this. Quotes }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} Trivia *Since Oikawa has a nephew (whose family name is also Oikawa), he most likely has an older brother. Though, there's been recent strips of Furudate hinting he has an older sister instead. **Oikawa's nephew's name is Takeru. *In his free time, he coaches his nephew and other children at Lil Tykes Volleyball Classroom. *His favorite food is milk bread. *His current concern: When he tried to talk to Karasuno's manager, Kiyoko, he was utterly ignored. (But she must just have been shy, and it's not like he's all that bothered by it, not even a little bit, not at all - Oikawa said to himself.) *In official English media, Crunchyroll (anime) has his name written as 'Oikawa Toru' and VIZ Media (manga) has his name written as 'Tohru Oikawa'. *He had a girlfriend who broke up with him because he was too obsessed with volleyball. *Oikawa has been nicknamed the "Great King" and "Oikawa the Great" by Shōyō Hinata and "Assikawa," "Trashykawa," and "Shittykawa" by Iwaizumi. *The white knee pad on his right knee is in fact not a knee pad, but a knee supporter. *In Haikyū's first popularity poll, he was ranked 5th with 5,050 votes. In the second, he still ranked 5th with 7,410 votes. *Oikawa once made his nephew, Takeru, take a photo of Kageyama bowing to him so that he can have "a picture of Tobio indebted to Oikawa-san!," however Takeru was not amused. The photo Takeru took was blurry, much to Oikawa's dismay. *According to Monthly Volleyball, Oikawa's favorite quote is "If you're going to hit it, hit it until it breaks." *His star sign is Cancer. *Oikawa's birthday, July 20, is thought to be a reference to Alexander the Great, who shares the same birthday and is also commonly referred to as "the Great King". *In the Japanese sub Hinata calls Oikawa "大王様." *When combined, Iwaizumi and Oikawa's first names (Hajime and Tōru respectively) form "一徹" meaning "obstinate" or "dauntless." *It has been implied in the Seijou extra that Iwaizumi and Oikawa might be attending different universities, although the phrasing is vague so it remains unconfirmed. Furudate has yet to explicitly state whether they will be attending the same school. *'Nomenclature' **Tōru (徹) - To Go Through **Oikawa (及川) - Reaching the River References }} ja:及川 徹 Category:Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Aobajohsai High Volleyball Club Toru Oikawa Category:Setters Category:3rd Year Category:Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High